delany



(No Model.) 2Shets-Sheet 1. P. B. DELANY.

TELEGRAPH CABLE.

No.-247,146. Patented Sept. 13,1881.

I No. 247,146.

(No Model.) 2'Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. B. DELANY.

TELEGRAPH CABLE.

Patented Sept. 13,1881.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK B. DELANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TE LEG RAP H -CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,146, datedSeptember 13, 1881.

Application filed March 2, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK B. DELANY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-Gables;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such-as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form apart of this specifieat'ion.

The object of this invention is to provide a multiple-wiretelegraph-cable having great flexibility and strength, andin which theseveral conductors will be effectively insulated from each other andprotected from contact with outside objects, said cable being adaptedfor use either in the air or under ground.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a portion of anaerial telegraphic cable constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2is a view of one of the buttons detached. Fig. 3 is a view of two of theseparating-stops. Fig. 4 is a detail view, illustrating a mode ofsupporting the cable. Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of an undergroundcable constructed according to my invention. Fig. 6 is a view of aportion of a modified form of aerial cable provided with a sheathing orguard-tubing. Fig.7 is an enlarged view of a portion of said cable,partly in section. Fig. 8 is a view of a tube-bend useful in laying thecable across the comb or the edge of a roof.

The letter A indicates theinsulating-buttons which support and keepseparated the wires. These buttonsmay be made of glass, porcelain, orany other suitable insulating material, and of any desired diameter, andeach has a central hole, a, for the passage of the supporting andstrengthening rope or cable B. Between the central hole and theperiphery of the buttons, and at a proper distance therefrom and fromeach other, are formed the small apertures a for the passage of theconducting-wires O. The outer apertures for the passage of the wiresshould be at such a distance from the peripheries of the buttons thatshould the buttons come in contact with the (No model.)

ground, a wall, or other object the wires will be held out of contactwith such object.

In constructing the cable the buttons may be first strung upon thecentral supporting and strengthening rope, B; or said rope and theconducting-wires, which may be naked or covered with an insulatingsubstance, may be passed through the apertures of the buttons at thesame time, the cable being constructed as it is laid or erected. Thebuttons will touch each other loosely, generally, but should havesufficient play to permit the, bending of the cable as desired.necessary to support the cable a stationary perforated button or disk isfirmly secured for the support of the wires alone, and the central ropeis led out from the wires and firmly secured by staples or cleats, orboth, as shown in Fig. 4, where l) designates a pole, at the top ofwhich the perforated disk E, of insulating material, is firmly securedby an iron frame. F. Below the disk the pole is provided with a stoutand firmly-braced cross-arm, G, to which the rope is secured by staples,and is also preferably passed around a cleat, H, secured to the pole,to'prevent slipping. After passing the polethe rope returns to itscentral position in the cable. This rope is preferably formed of wire,and at such points as necessary may be covered with insulating'materialto prevent contact with the wires. The disk E may be secured toabuilding, wall, or roof, and the rope B secured as the circumstances ofany particular case may suggest or require.

In order to secure space between any two buttons of the cable, I placeupon the rope B, between said buttons, a pipe or sleeve, I, Fig. 1, ofsuitable length, and having a diameter too great to go through thecentral holes of the buttons. Screws K, passing through the pipe,impinge upon the rope and hold the pipe in place. Short sleeves I are inthe same manner placed to prevent the movement of the buttons beyond agiven point. The sleeves like Iwill be used chiefly whereit is necessaryto branch one or more wires ofi' from the cable, as in Fig. 1, or foraffording room for testing At such points as it is found or manipulatingthe wires for any other pur- I pose. But few poles or other stationarysupports are required for my cable as compared with the present mode ofsupporting te1egraph- IOO wires in cities and other places where a largenumber run parallel, as the great strength given to the cable by thecentral rope makes it self-supporting for very long spans.

When the wire-apertures of the buttons are not all filled up additionalwires may be easily run, as a ladder with a suitable fender crossbar maybe raised to and supported by the cable, the fender-bar touching onlythe peripheries of the buttons. In View of the addition of extra wires,the outer apertures should be left vacant, if any, for convenience, butis not absolutely necessary, as a wire may be easily added or removednear the center of the cable, the wires, of course, being properlyspaced.

The buttons A, it will be observed, have an ellipticalcross-section-thatis, they taper from center to peripherythis being forthe purpose of allowing the cable to readily bend in changing direction,or to accommodate the sag between supports, or in swaying to and fro.

Such a cable will be found especially useful in cities, as it can belaid across a roof or run alongside a wall, either inclosed in a pipe ornot, without danger of interference with the wires, and hundreds ofwires included in one or more of such cables may be arranged in thespace heretofore required for but few.

\Vhen the cable is to be laid underground I inclose it in aprotecting-pipe, as shown at L, Fig. 5, formed either of lead, iron, orearthenware sections connected by suitable joints, as shown in Fig. 5.In laying the cable underground it may be wound upon a reel and drawnthence through section after section of pipe, a very few splices beingnecessary.

\Vhen the cable is placed in a pipe the space unoccupied by it may beleft vacant or tilled with insulating material, as desired. Theflexibility of the cable will permit the use of any of the ordinarypipe-bends in changing direction.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 an aerial or undergroundcable is inclosed in a sheathing formed of light tube-sections L, eachhaving at one end a collar for the end of the adjoining section to fitinto. These tubesections may be made of sheet-iron or any other suitablelight material. In this form of cable the central supporting or strainrope is omitted, and an outside supporting-rope, B, or a wire or cable,is used, said rope beingpassed through loops m, secured to each end ofeach tube or sheathing section, and at points where the cable issuspended the said rope is hung upon books, as shown, where the cable issuspended from the arms of poles in the drawings. \Vhen a wire or wirerope is used for the support of the cable it may be soldered to thesections of sheathing. Owing to the loose joints the cable can sagwithout separating the sections of sheathing.

In crossing the combs of roofs and similar places, the cable lying uponthe roof or other elevated object, tube-bends of suitable angle, such asshown at L,Figs.6 and 8,will be found useful.

The tube or sheathing sections should be painted, preferably with soralled' waterproof paint, to protect them.

It is, of course, impracticable to use any insulating filling for thisform of cable other than the buttons.

1 do not limit myself to short tube-sections in this form of cable, asit is obvious that long flexible sections of light tubing of lead,indiarubber, gutta-percha, or other suitable material might be used,such sections being provided with loops for the rope at proper points.

This form of cable is especially useful in conducting the wires ofelectric-light circuits,over which are passed dynamo-electric currentsof very high tension,which are extremely dangerous, as, when aground-connection is accidentally made from one of such wires throughthe body of a human being, loss of life is likely to occur. Fatalaccidents of this kind have, in deed, occurred.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination,witli a cable composed. of one ormore electrical conductingwires run through perforations in a series ofinsulatingbuttons strung upon said wire or wires, of a strain orsupporting rope connected with and arranged to bear the entire weight ofthe said cable, substantially as described.

2. A telegraph-cable composed of the central supporting andstrengthening rope or cable, the perforated buttons of insulatingIlluterial, tapering from center to periphery and strung upon said ropeor cable, and the conducting-wires arranged through theperforationsot'said buttons,substantiallyas described.

3. The combination, with the central rope and the buttons, of suitablesleeves for separating or limiting the movement of the buttons,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a cable composed of the central rope, thetapering buttons, and conducting-wires, of an inclosing-pipe,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a telegraph-cable composed of one or morewires, a series of insulating-buttons strung upon said wire orwires, andan inclosing sheathing or tube, of a supporting or strain rope,wire, orcable connected with said sheathing and arranged to be suspended fromsuitable supports, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI al'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK B. DELANY.

WVitnesses v FRANK L. WARRIOR, A. F. Hreerns.

